Garth Brooks ticket situation

[Lt.Spears]

If it were for the fans he would just sing at the coke stage and play for free...

Honestly the Stampede needs what Fort Calgary has during stampede (big stage, lots of open area) for free shows.

It's not like Garth needs money... plus pricing things at 65 bucks a ticket just ruins things for everyone else.

[rayne008]

comparing ticket demand of Garth Brooks to Radiohead or NIN is the most laughable thing I've read in a long time.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by rayne008

comparing ticket demand of Garth Brooks to Radiohead or NIN is the most laughable thing I've read in a long time.

Right, cause Radiohead tickets are just so easy to come by

They're gone in seconds

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by valo403

Right, cause Radiohead tickets are just so easy to come by

They're gone in seconds

Radiohead is a big deal, no doubt, but this is probably the biggest concert in North America in all of 2012.

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by rayne008

comparing ticket demand of Garth Brooks to Radiohead or NIN is the most laughable thing I've read in a long time.

I'm no Garth Brooks fan, and love Radiohead, but ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Brooks

Garth Brooks still continues to sell well and according to Nielsen Soundscan, his albums sales through October 2011 are at 68,561,000, which makes him the best-selling albums artist in the United States in the SoundScan era (since 1991), a title held since 1991, well over 5 million ahead of his nearest rival, The Beatles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiohead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Inch_Nails

Radiohead have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide

Nine Inch Nails recordings have won Grammy Awards; and their entire catalog has reached record sales exceeding over 30 million albums worldwide

So the guy has essentially sold more albums than Radiohead + NIN put together.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Radiohead is a big deal, no doubt, but this is probably the biggest concert in North America in all of 2012.

Perhaps for Garth Brooks fans, Radiohead fans could point to their show at Roseland Ballroom (capacity around 2000). With 9 times the capacity in Calgary unless demand is 9 times higher (which I would find incredibly hard to believe) that show likely had far greater ticket demand.

[Senator Clay Davis]

What makes it the hottest ticket ever is when of course. It would still sell out any other time of year, but Stampede just makes it even more insane. Also at Maiden a few years ago there were no tickets, just had to bring your credit card and ID and they read the card at the door and you were good to go (floor only though).

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by valo403

Perhaps for Garth Brooks fans, Radiohead fans could point to their show at Roseland Ballroom (capacity around 2000). With 9 times the capacity in Calgary unless demand is 9 times higher (which I would find incredibly hard to believe) that show likely had far greater ticket demand.

Not only that but the silly dick waving (over garth brooks no less) is missing the point entirely.

No one posted about those other bands to start a petty pissing contest.

Its simply people pointing out that other artists have come up with alternative ticketing systems than the moronic one chosen by Garth brooks.

[Senator Clay Davis]

It seems odd though. He sends a mixed message by only charging $65, incredible value for his fans, but then not taking some already established precautions to ensure most fans get first hand tickets. I can't imagine he's getting that rich off this concert.

[rayne008]

no doubt that alternatives are out there...

I saw Garth in Vegas in 2010, and there were over the top measures in place to stop scalping...

(I was limited to 4 tickets, and I had to enter all 4 peoples names at the time of purchase. We had to arrive the day of the concert with our tickets [with our names on them], and exchange them for wristbands that we had to wear to gain access to the concert later that night.)

That being said, it took me 18 months before I was finally able to buy tickets, as they would sell out within minutes of going on sale.

At the end of the day, I'd guess that there were about 250,000 people trying to buy 15,000 tickets, so of course people are going to be pissed and want to blame someone.

[GGG]

I got tickets but I am amazed you were allowed to get six to such a high demand show. It essentially means there were only 2000 to 3000 people allowed to get tickets. And with 6 you can get two for yourself and four to scalp or at least 4 to sell to your friends. If he had limited it to 2 tickets per person it would have been better. But anyway you look at it with 200,000 people willing to pay $60 per ticket people were going to leave disappointed.

I think one of the issues is that Calgary has never really had a show that was this in demand. Maybe the Stones Arena tour but that is about it. Combine that with Calgary's sense of entitlement and people get mad when they don't get what they want.

What the people complaining about scalpers don't realalize is that scalpers are giving them the opportunity to guarentee that they see the show. If there was no resale permitted 9 out 10 people wanting to see this show would have no way to see it. At least this way a really huge fan can shell out to see it.

My thoughts of making a little money of my extra tickets quickly went by the way side when I told my wife I got 6 tickets and she told me that she had already sold them to her friends.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by GGG

My thoughts of making a little money of my extra tickets quickly went by the way side when I told my wife I got 6 tickets and she told me that she had already sold them to her friends.......

...who will scalp them when they find out they are worth $700 a pop.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by rayne008

comparing ticket demand of Garth Brooks to Radiohead or NIN is the most laughable thing I've read in a long time.

The point. You've missed it.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by GGG

What the people complaining about scalpers don't realalize is that scalpers are giving them the opportunity to guarentee that they see the show. If there was no resale permitted 9 out 10 people wanting to see this show would have no way to see it. At least this way a really huge fan can shell out to see it.

Yes, but then you have an earlier point:

Originally Posted by GGG

And with 6 you can get two for yourself and four to scalp

So basically you are agreeing that not only are there the professional scalpers, but also anybody who would have bought a pair is now a scalper.

Yes, I get that for a price I can go see any event I want. I am curious how much demand is inflated by the scalpers. Maybe this event is really high demand and is a bit of an exception; but I'm talking about for other events. Let's say scalping was made a serious crime; like first offense meant 2 years in jail. Enough to scare people out of scalping. What would demand for tickets end up looking like? Would there ever be such a thing as shows selling out in seconds?

It just seems like scalpers create an artificial demand; much like what you see in old movies of the mafia offering "protection." Yes, scalpers allow you to see a sold out show. But would so many shows be sold out if the scalpers didn't buy tickets?

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by calumniate

In other news, Dave Foley is coming to town!

http://laughshopcalgary.com/CalgaryL...6-28-2012.aspx

25 smackers only

Wasn't there a story floating around that he couldn't re-enter Canada or he would be in some legal hot water over his delinquent child/spousal support? I guess he took care of it? That's a lot of $25 tickets.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Yes, but then you have an earlier point:



So basically you are agreeing that not only are there the professional scalpers, but also anybody who would have bought a pair is now a scalper.

Yes, I get that for a price I can go see any event I want. I am curious how much demand is inflated by the scalpers. Maybe this event is really high demand and is a bit of an exception; but I'm talking about for other events. Let's say scalping was made a serious crime; like first offense meant 2 years in jail. Enough to scare people out of scalping. What would demand for tickets end up looking like? Would there ever be such a thing as shows selling out in seconds?

It just seems like scalpers create an artificial demand; much like what you see in old movies of the mafia offering "protection." Yes, scalpers allow you to see a sold out show. But would so many shows be sold out if the scalpers didn't buy tickets?

My point was that for this concert the price, the demand, stubhub to get rid of tickets and the nmber of tickets you could buy turned your average person into a scalper. You would have to be very morally against scalping to turn down this opportunity or as in my case and probably many others have too many friends who want to go.

To your other point Scalpers dont create artificial demand. The same number of tickets need to be sold and the same numbe of people want to go at a given price. Panic creates artificial demand as people are scared at not being able to go. I would bet that the week or so before Garth Brooks you will be able to buy tickets at around 150 per seat which is pretty standard stampede headline concert price.

Look at past major events like the heritage classic and the grey cup. At the Heritage classic despite high prices right when tickets were released to the public you couldnt get tickets for anywhere near face value. The few days before the game you could get tickets at or below face.

When the Grey Cup was in Calgary and the Riders made it the Monday and Tuesday of the week tickets were going for double face as people paniced trying to secure tickets. The day of the game I picked up a pair for some friends for 20% less than face.

Demand and Supply of tickets are both constant, fear drives the market. Right now fear is at its highest amoungst buyers and lowest amoungst sellers so prices will not get higher than they are now except at maybe an hour before the concert assuming there are very few tickets left.

[showtime]

The Vegas show is more of an acoustic set. It wont even be close to what he does for his "stadium" concerts. He puts on one of the best shows out there. Better then NIN and Radiohead by far as ive seen all three.

The demand for Garth Brooks tickets would be way way higher then both those bands to boot.

[The Goon]

Now imagine a show where Radiohead opens for Garth! How quick would those tickets go?

[rayne008]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

The point. You've missed it.

That's because it's a fantasy comparison. When Radiohead gets 1000000 people in Central Park for a 1 act concert, then it would be apples to apples.

Who knows why they didn't use use the same ticketing method as he does in vegas, but any way you slice it, only 15000 tickets are going to be available. They could have sold single tickets and still had 10000's of people disappointed/pissed

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by rayne008

That's because it's a fantasy comparison. When Radiohead gets 1000000 people in Central Park for a 1 act concert, then it would be apples to apples.

Who knows why they didn't use use the same ticketing method as he does in vegas, but any way you slice it, only 15000 tickets are going to be available. They could have sold single tickets and still had 10000's of people disappointed/pissed

How is it a fantasy conversation? We're still discussing a situtiation where supply outstrips demand correct? It's not like anyone suggested "oh, they should just schedule a second show, that's what X did at the jubily" then it would be laughable.

But saying "it's 2012 and a handful of other artist have effectly eliminated scalping by using modern technology & paperless tickets" is a valid point. Nobody suggested that 100% of the dissapointed fans left out would have been able to attend the show. We simply suggested the scalping problem could have been addressed.

Suggesting otherwise is laughable.